Grease

Movie review by Kate Pluta, Common Sense Media
Grease Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 12+

Musical phenomenon is still great fun but quite racy.

PG 1978 110 minutes
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Parents say

age 12+

Based on 56 reviews

Kids say

age 11+

Based on 218 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Grease is full of somewhat racy material, although most of it isn't any more shocking than the content of today's teen films and television shows. Still, you might want to give it a quick "refresher" watch before showing it to kids under 13 to make sure you remember exactly what they'll be seeing. Characters smoke, drink, and spike the punch at the school dance. Characters use an obscene finger gesture and say "ass," "crap," "weenie," "flog your log," and the like, and one sings, "Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee, lousy with virginity." The song "Greased Lightning" has profanity including "t-t," "s--t," and "p---y wagon." Characters make out. At the drive-in, Danny makes a pass at Sandy. Sexual activity is implied when two characters discuss a broken condom, resulting in Rizzo's fear she may be pregnant. Naked derrieres are seen when characters moon a passing car and, later, a television camera. The T-Birds discuss female anatomy, and one fellow peeks up the skirts of female students. The Pink Ladies dance around in their nighties mocking Sandy's virginity. A T-Bird draws a switchblade in preparation for a rumble.

Community Reviews

John T.
John T. Adult
May 23, 2018
age 11+

Most adult jokes will go over kids heads anyway

IS there some adult humor in this? Sure. Plenty of it. But most will go over young kids' heads. Those the get the joke are already hearing that stuff, and likely SAYING that stuff already. I hate to break it to parents, but it's true. Your 12 year old is almost definitely already talking about the things sung about in Greased Lightning. But the good news is that they are still going to turn out just fine. One thing I find a little disturbing about many reviews is there is plenty of talk about Sandy changing (totally on her own), but not one is upset that she then DEMANDS (in song) that Danny "better shape up" and change for her? (Which is something Danny had been doing the entire movie..changing for her.) Sort of a double standard, saying that it is OK for a woman to demand a man change for her, but not OK to depict a girl who is very old fashioned to want to modernize when she enters a new culture? Bottom line..let's your kids enjoy the music. This movie is not going to give them any sort of sexual deficiencies. Nor will seeing people smoking make them start. If they ask, simply tell them that smoking was MUCH more common, both i the 70s when the movie was made, but especially in the 50s when it was set. But now that we know more about the risks of smoking, it is thankfully decreasing in popularity.
3 people found this helpful.
Kandice K.
Kandice K. Adult
July 17, 2017
age 14+

Drinking, sex, pregnancy - but 1977's version

I hadn't watched this in years. I saw that parents rated it age 11 so I agreed to watch with my 11 year old daughter. I had forgotten many scenes that were awkward but I guess served to have discussions. For example, the scene where Russo is making out with the guy and he pulls out the broken condom. You can't see it, but my daughter wanted to know what it was. There were also many references to the women "putting out" and several other sexual innuendos. I loved the movie originally because it is a musical but I wish I had refreshed my memory on all of these details!

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
1 person found this helpful.
See all 56 parent reviews

What's the Story?

This movie covers quintessential high school moments: the big pep rally, the school dance, worrying about image, and, of course, falling in love. Though viewers shouldn't expect a highly accurate portrayal of life in the 1950s, the relationships among characters will feel like familiar emotional ground to many viewers. When it comes to an entertaining mix of singing, dancing, and comedy, GREASE -- which won a People's Choice Award -- is hard to beat. Parents will especially enjoy seeing John Travolta in his early days (boy, can he dance!).

Is It Any Good?

Grease was the word when this movie came out in 1978, and the word is still alive and well today, as evidenced by the movie's ever-growing legion of fans. In fact, it's the most profitable movie musical of all time, whose biggest hit, "Summer Nights," remains a standard at weddings, karaoke parties, and dances. Although the story is somewhat weak, the music and contagious energy more than make up for it, as do stellar performances by John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, and Jeff Conaway.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why this movie is still so popular. What makes it a classic?

  • Do the movie's themes still resonate today, or do they feel dated?

  • If you could update or remake this movie, how would you do it?

Movie Details

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Themes & Topics

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